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ClubCoastalWelwyn Garden City, HertfordshireEast Coast, South Coast and offshore cruising waters

SOCA Sailing

BeginnerTrainingJuniors

SOCA Sailing is a Welwyn Garden City-based RYA affiliated offshore sailing club with cruising activity, monthly meetings and social sailing links for Hertfordshire-area sailors.

Visit official website

Start

Can a beginner start here?

Offshore sailing, Yacht cruising, Social sailing, Cruising talks, Club meetings, Training talks, RYA affiliated club

Beginner
SOCA says its members range from beginners to round-the-world sailors, and its membership page explicitly invites people who are just beginning or interested in sailing certifications. A beginner could start by attending meetings, meeting members, and asking about crewing opportunities rather than expecting a fixed beginner course pathway.
Training
SOCA describes training as part of its programme, including First Aid, Boat Maintenance, Sea Survival and VHF-GMDSS. Recent evidence includes an RYA First Aid course and a sea survival liferaft session. I did not find a current official learn-to-sail, RYA dinghy, or RYA sailing course offer on the SOCA site.
Taster
SOCA invites visitors to attend the first two monthly meetings free of charge. A 2026 BOSG/SOCA/NOSCA dinghy sailing and BBQ event says there is no requirement to sail, sailing boats and a BBQ will be provided free, and members, partners, children and grandchildren are welcome. I did not find a formal open day or structured sailing taster product on the official site.

Activity tags

Club meetings· ActivityCruising talks· ActivityOffshore sailing· ActivityRYA affiliated club· TrainingSocial sailing· ActivityTraining talks· TrainingYacht cruising· Activity

Suitability

Juniors, families, and accessibility

Juniors
The membership page says the annual membership covers you and your family. A 2026 dinghy sailing and BBQ event says members, partners, children, partners and grandchildren are welcome. I did not find a dedicated junior training section or safeguarding/access information for juniors.
Access· Unclear
I did not find current official information about accessibility, disabled access, access needs, adapted sailing, or venue access arrangements on the checked SOCA pages.

Costs

Costs, membership, and boats

Prices

SOCA lists annual membership at GBP 25 for you and your family. It also says the first two visitor meetings are free, monthly meetings are free to attend as a member, and the 2026 dinghy sailing and BBQ event provides sailing boats and BBQ free while attendees bring their own food and drink. I did not find a full price list for courses, trips, boat hire, or regular sailing costs.

Membership

Official site welcomes new members, including beginners and experienced sailors, and says the first two visits to monthly meetings are free.

Boat hire· Unclear
SOCA says boat-owning members may offer potential crewing opportunities, and one 2026 dinghy sailing and BBQ event says sailing boats will be provided free. I did not find evidence of an ongoing club boat fleet, boat hire scheme, or regular hire prices.

Facilities

Facilities and equipment

Cruising programme· OtherFacebook group· OtherMonthly Welwyn Garden City meetings· OtherRYA affiliation· OtherTalks and training sessions· Other

Location

Welwyn Garden City · 6 nearby clubs mapped

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Trust

Sources and data quality

Data status
Verified
Find Watersports check
14 Jun 2026
Club verification
Not listed
Sources checked (2)